Central buffing and draw gear for railway and like vehicles.



A. SPEN GER.

CENTRAL BUFPING AND DRAW GEAR FOB. RAILWAY AND L'IKE VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED IEEB.2, 1914.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER SPENCER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

CENTRAL BUFFING AND DRAW GEAR FOR RAILWAY 4ND LIKE Vll'tHIIIICLZES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

Application filed February 2, 1914. Serial No. 815,994.

B. coupler. Such gear comprises a central coupling head formed in one with a draw bar and as heretofore usually constructed the butting and draw springs, which are generally steel springs, have been operated by the rear end of the coupling head and by a yoke or shackle which-in some constructions is made in two or three parts and is suitably connected at one end by bolts to the draw bar and at the other end constitutes or is fitted with a bearing member for the spring, each longitudinal portion of the yoke being stepped or provided with a shoulder ada ted to engage a corresponding step or 'shou der formed therefor on the inner end of the draw bar so that the connecting bolts are relieved of shearing strain.

Now anobject of this invention is to provide an improved arrangement Whcreby,with

a divided yoke or shackle of this kind, the

springs embraced by the yoke or shackle can be initially compressed sufficiently to enable the yoke to be readily put in position relatively to the draw bar and the bolts to be easily slipped into the bolt holes. For this purpose according to this invention a tail rod, which serves to guide and centralize the springs, is connected at one end to the draw bar and at the'other end extends through the inner end of the yoke and is fitted with a nut or nuts adapted to bear against the inner end of the yoke whereby the springs can be initially compressed to the'desired extent.

By a yoke arran ement as set forth india rubber springs made of suitable size can be conveniently used. The said tail rod can be formed at one end with a head or with an eye mounted on one of the bolts connecting the yoke to the draw bar end. 4 Figure 1 of the accompanying illustrative drawings shows in sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 in Inn with the springs removed, one construction of bufiing and draw gear according to this inventio In this construction the end a of the drawrod 2) is enlarged and formed with two holes for bolts 0 whereby it is connected to the outer ends of two sides or main members (I of a yoke whose inner ends are in like manner connected by four bolts f to an inwardly extending part 9 of a plate or member it that constitutes the inner end of the yoke and a bearin plate for the spring. The outer end of eac yoke side or main member of is stepped or provided withaslioulder m that bears against the enlarged inner end of the draw bar, and the .inner end of such yoke side or member is stepped or provided with a shoulder a against which the spring bearmg plate It abuts. Midway or approximately midway of the length of the yoke it embraces amember p, it may be of channel section connected to the vehicle under-frame and that constitutes the abutment for the adjacent ends of the bufiing and draw springs r and 8 respectively, or for plates arranged to slide freely within the yoke and form abutments for the adjacent ends of the two springs. The other ends of the springs r and a respectively bear against the draw bar end a or the plate It interposed between such end and-the spring, and the bearing plate or member in at therear end of the yoke.

In the bufiing and draw gear illustrated the member 39 consists of two knees fixed to longitudinal members of the vehicle un derframe, the two lengths p of channel iron connected to the knees and forming bearing surfaces forthe yokev members 03. The springsare threaded on a rod t that is formed at one end with an eyeuwhereby it is mounted on one of the bolts 0 connecting the yoke to the draw bar band the other end of the rodextends through the inner end of the yoke and is there fitted with a nut 'w whereby the s rings 1- and s can be compressed to the esired extent and to facilitategetting the connecting bolts 0 in place.

F orthe purpose of efficiently guiding the yoke the fixed member 72 may be deeper than as shown and formed'with recesses in which the yoke membersdcan slide,see the dotted lines in both figures of the drawings.

Details of construction can be otherwise.

than as described without departure from the invention as will be understood, for example the part 9' throu h which [the connectinghbolts f pass can e made separately from e1 bearing plate It; also, instead of separate bufling and draw springs the arsprings that act both for bu rsngeiuent can comprise s sin is column of g and drew purposes; moreover, steel springs can be used instead of rubbersprings or in some cases the arrangement may comprise both rubber springs and steel springs.

What I claim is I In central bufling and draw gear, e drew be! "formed with outwerdl projecting shoulders near its inner en two links formed with bolt holes end constituting the miseie shackle and formed with bolt holes, a flange on said abutment block adapted to be enguged by the inwardly projecting portions at the inner ends of said links, a spring threaded on said rod between said, fixed -member and said abutment and tending to force the said flange against the inwardly projecting portions at the inner ends of said links and also tending to force the inwardly projecting portions at the outer ends of said links against the outwardly projecting shoulders of snid draw bar, it nut on the end of said rod adapted to bear on said abutment, and bolts extending through the bolt holes of said abutment and the correspondins; bolt holes 03": said links.

- Signed. at 77-79 Cannon street, London, England this twenty-second day of January 191%.

A EXANDER SPENCER.

Witnesses T. L/LABCODINE, Jo TOUNRY. 

